Playing card tray



Aug. 21, 1934. w A, REYNOLDS 1,971,052

PLAYING CARD TRAY Filed Dec. 27. 1952 Patented Aug. 21, 1934 UNITED STATES PLAYING CARD TRAY.

William A. Reynolds, Shaker Heights, Ohio, as-

signor to The Reynolds Corperation, Cleveland, Ohio, a. corporation of Ohio Application December 2 11 Claims.

7 'This invention is directed to the provision of a novel card folding tray, and has for its general object the provision of a card tray, utilizable for the storing and the handling of playing cards arranged in books or hands.

More specifically, my invention'is directed to the provision of duplicate bridge playing card trays, Which will be durable and compact and adaptable to convenience in stacking, and which may be constructed in such manner as to prevent marring or scratching of furniture, and which, when handled, will be noiseless.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description, reference being had to a preferred embodiment thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawing. The essential and novel features of the invention will be set forth in the claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a tray embodying the novel features of my invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken through the tray substantially along the lines 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar cross-sectional view, taken through the tray substantially along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 1; while Fig. i is a perspective view, looking at the top of the tray structure.

My invention contemplates the construction of a card tray, which is illustrated as being adapted to hold four hands to be played in duplicate bridge. The tray is provided with four compartments, disposed side by side in the tray structure, and the compartments are partly exposed so that at a glance the players in the north, east, south and west positions will have indicated to them in a conspicuous manner the particular hand which is to be played by the particular position. I construct the tray preferably out of rubber, to obtain a unitary structure, which will be suinciently stiff as a whole to permit convenient and compact stacking of a large numberof trays with the card hands carried in the compartments thereof, and I prefer to have the bottom of the tray formed of hard rubber, to which is secured side or marginal walls formed of resilient rubber, and atop wall or panel which is preferably formed of elastic material, where by the compartments in each tray may be arranged compactly and the cards may conveniently be placed therein and removed therefrom, and the trays may be distributed to players without consequent noise in the handling thereof.

In the drawing, Fig. 1, I illustrate such a tray structure as comprising a bottom panel 10, preferably formed of a rubber compound which will cure to a substantially hardened condition to give stiffness to the tray structure. Attached or secured to the bottom hard rubber panel 10 are side walls 11 and 12 and end walls 13 and 14, which I preferably form out of a rubber compound, which, when cured, will have some degree of resiliency.

7, 1932, Serial No. 648,923

The tray is of such length and width as to afford the dividing thereof into four side by side compartments, A, B, C and D, by'the use of partition walls l5, l6 and 17, preferably formed of rubber and cured to the bottom panel 10 and side walls 11 and 12. These compartments are partly enclosed by a top panel 20, which is formed of a rubber compounded to cure to a reasonable degree of elasticity. The entire structure is preferably integrally formed by a final cure.

In order that the top of the tray will indicate to the players without any confusion the particular hand to be withdrawn from the tray for the positions occupied by the player, I preferably shape the top elastic panel in such manner that the two end. compartments, A and D are substantially half closed by the panel 20 extending thereover, and the end edges 20a and 20d extend longitudinally of the compartment, that is,

edges 20a and 20b extend transversely across the the duplicate bridge hand and to facilitate the removal of the cards from the tray compartments I provide notches formed inthe end and side walls and the bottom panel of such dimension as to permit convenient grasp of the cards by the thumb and fingers. ,It will be noted that the arrangement of the top panel is such that the two end hands are Withdrawn from the compartments A and D by a sidewise movement of the cards, while the cards are withdrawn from the intermediate compartments, B and C, by an endwise movement. n n

The top of the panel may carry suitable lettering, indicating which cards comprise the north, east, south and west hands, as well as numerals indicating any sequence of the playingof the hands carried by a plurality of trays. The top panel may also carry any special rules or instructions governing the tournament or play.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the bottom hard panel may be of sufficient thickness to afford a stiff structure in the tray and that by having the end and sidewalls'formed of a resilient rubber, all noise and clattering will be eliminated panel about the bottom margin and at the corners a short distance into the bottom panel as indicated by the dot and dash lines 50, see Fig. 1.

The top panel is provided with depressed areas E, F, G, H, etc. of sufiicient depth to protect any printed matter placed thereon by decalcomanias .or gummed pr nted paper. also provided with a depressed area for recep- The bottom panel is tionor" a numeral indicator whereby the particular number of the tray is apparent on both the top and the bottom of the tray.

I claim: I

1. A playing card tray comprising a unitary structure plastically formed to have a plurality of card-receiving compartments, said tray having a top panel formed of elastic material shaped to extend part way over each compartment to form pockets, whereby when playing cards are placed therein the cards will be retained regardless of what position the tray may be disposed.

2. A playing card tray comprising a unitary structure plastically formed to have a plurality of card-receiving compartments, said tray having a rigid bottom panel and a flexible top panel shaped to extend a substantial distance over each compartment, whereby when playing cards are placed therein the cards will be retained.

3. A playing card tray comprising a unitary structure plastically formed to have a plurality of card-receiving compartments, said tray having a top panel formed of flexible material and shaped to extend a substantial distance over each compartment, a rigid bottom panel and resilient side and end walls.

4. A playing card tray, comprising a bottom panel, and side and end walls, and a top flexible panel, said tray having partition walls extending transversely of the tray to divide the tray into four substantially equally dimensioned compartments, the top panel comprising elastic material shaped to extend a substantial distance over each compartment, to thereby form with the side walls, bottom panel and said partitions, pockets in which playing cards may be readily placed and be retained therein.

5. A rectangularly shaped playing card tray, comprising a bottom panel and end and side walls, and a top flexible panel unitarily formed, said tray having partition walls extending transversely of the tray from side wall to side wall, to divide the tray into four substantially equally dimensioned compartments, the top panel comprising flexible material shaped to extend a substantial distance over the ends of the compartments to leave exposed that part thereof adjacent the end walls and to extend over the intermediate compartments a sufiicient distance to leave exposed that part thereof adjacent the side walls.

6. As an article of manufacture, a card tray receiving compartments arranged side by side and having a top panel formed of elastic rubber extending part way over the end compartments longitudinally of the compartment, and extending part way over the intermediate compartments transversely thereof, whereby playing cards may be removed from the end compartments in a direction sideways of the cards and playing cards may be removed from the intermediate compartments in a direction lengthwise of the cards.

7. As an article of manufacture, a card tray utilizable for duplicate bridge, comprising a unitarily molded rubber structure formed to have four compartments arranged side by side and having a top panel formed of elastic rubber extending part way over each compartment, whereby playing cards may be removed from the end compartments in a sidewise direction and from the intermediate compartments in a lengthwise direction, the tray having a bottom panel formed of hard rubber and side and end walls formed of resilient rubber and the walls being notched at each compartment to facilitate handling of the cards.

8. As an article of manufacture, a flat, elongated card tray utilizable for duplicate bridge, comprising a unitarily molded structure formed to have four compartments arranged side by side, and each compartment corresponding to a players position, and having an elastic rubber top panel extending part way over each compartment, and a hard rubber bottom panel joined to the top panel by resilient rubber end and side walls notched at each compartment to facilitate removal of the cards from the compartments.

9. A playing card tray, comprising a unitary 110 structure plastically formed to have a plurality of card-receiving compartments, said tray having a top panel formed of flexible material and shaped to extend a substantial distance over each compartment, a rigid bottom panel and resilient side .115 and end walls, said side and end walls extending -to the bottom surface of the bottom panel, and a being of sufficient depth to receive small sheets or cards of printed matter and the surfaces of 13 which will be below the top plane of the top panel,

whereby the printed subject matter will be protected from wear when the trays are stacked.

11. A playing card tray, comprising a unitary structure plastically formed to have a plurality 35 of card-receiving compartments, said tray having a rigid bottom panel and a flexible top panel shaped to extend a substantial distance over each compartment, whereby, when playing cards are placed therein, the cards will be retained, said top and bottom panels having depressed areas formed therein overthe top and bottom surfaces thereof, the depressed areas being of suchv depth as to receive small sheets or cards of printed matter.

WILLIAM A. REYNOLDS. 

